News

First Lady, Dr. Biden to Launch Family-support Initiative

Following the initiative's launch, Obama and Biden will embark on a two-day national tour to visit examples of communities, businesses and nonprofits working to support military families, the release said. Along the way, they'll highlight the work of Americans ?- from teachers and business leaders to neighbors and volunteers ?- who are serving military families.

Obama and Biden will kick off their tour by speaking to 3,000 military and family members at Camp Lejeune, N.C., on April 13, the release said. Special guests Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James F. Amos and Maj. Gen. Carl B. Jenson, commanding general of Marine Corps Installations East, also will attend.

Following their remarks, Obama and Biden will visit with the organizers of Operation Shower, a nonprofit organization that hosts unit-wide baby showers for expecting military families in a deployment or high-stress situation, the release said. Obama and Biden will join in a celebration for 40 pregnant military spouses and deliver gifts donated through a White House Operation Shower donation drive. Special guest Martha Stewart will attend to teach scrapbooking to military moms.

Obama and Biden next will travel to San Antonio to visit with service members and families at the Warrior and Family Support Center. The center, built with private donations and run by community volunteers, helps care for family members while they care for a wounded warrior. Obama and Biden also will meet privately with wounded warriors and families at nearby Brooke Army Medical Center.

They'll wrap up the day at an event at Coors Field in Denver. The Colorado Rockies and Coors Field has invited military families from across Colorado to a special viewing of the Rockies vs. Mets game. Obama and Biden will speak to the families and participate in activities with them. Special guests include entertainer Jessica Simpson and the Air Force Academy baseball team, which will practice with military children.

The next day, Obama and Biden will stop by the National Math and Science Competition at the Fountain-Fort Carson High School in Colorado Springs, Colo. In conjunction with the National Math and Science Initiative, they'll host a science competition where military parents will challenge the students at the school, which primarily serves military families. The event is intended to raise awareness of the challenges military children face and the need for advanced placement courses in math and science at schools serving military children. Joining them at the event will be gust participants from the Discovery Channel program "MythBusters."

Next, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis will join Obama and Biden for an employment event in Columbus, Ohio, to highlight how several major businesses have made commitments to ensure job transferability for military spouses. By enabling spouses to transfer, they can more easily retain their jobs at a participating facility in their new community, the release said.

Obama and Biden will wrap up their tour at a community event for military families in Columbus. The USO and Sesame Street will host a concert-style event honoring National Guard members and their families. Local organizations doing great work in their communities who need volunteers or donations to support military families will be recognized. The event will feature a performance from singer and producer Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers and Sesame Street Muppets including Elmo. Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, also will attend.

Earlier this year, Obama and Biden previewed their new initiative during a National Governors Association meeting at the White House.

"We're very excited about this initiative because we think that this will not only help our troops and their families, but it will help us as a nation link together and be even stronger," the first lady said at the time.

"It's about showing our gratitude to that very small group of Americans who make such a tremendous contribution and sacrifice to this country," she added. "And it's about serving the people who sacrifice so much to serve us."

Additional information

DISCLAIMER: These domain is owned and operated by MilitaryWives.com, Incorporated, a privately owned and operated Washington state corporation. Our officers, our Board of Directors, our employees and our designated representatives retain the privilege and the right to control access, the right of editting, removing ANY and ALL content placed on this domain (and our sister sites), and the right of removing ANY and or ALL individual accounts that in our sole opinion are disruptive and detrimental to our overall stated purpose of providing support to the military spouse. None of the United States Armed Services (United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States Army, United States Air Force, United States Coast Guard) nor any other component of the Department of Defense has approved, endorsed, or authorized these products / services / activities.